Howlite
Howlite is a Gem currently residing in The Palace on Mars. She is considered the leader of the Watchers. Appearance Howlite is a somewhat tall Gem, being slightly taller than Pearl, with exaggerated curves, thin arms, and small hands. Her hair is pale gray and straight, and falls to the base of her neck. She has a heart-shaped face with a pointed nose and large, paisley-shaped eyes with gray eyeshadow. Her eyes glow white and her irises are black and very small with respect to her eyes; however, her eyes are usually closed. She never moves her mouth, not even to speak, and always has a smile on her face regardless of what she may be feeling. Howlite has lipstick resembling a heart, and thin, light gray lines coming off the sides of her mouth. Her gemstone is on the front of her neck, seemingly held in place by a gray choker. She has light gray lines on both the insides and outsides of her elbows, as well as several lines along her hands that give them the appearance of having doll-like joints. She wears a long dress with a dark gray top, black sleeves that reach her elbows, black bracelets, and a long, pale gray skirt with lines around it as well as straight down the front and back. Over her shoulders, Howlite wears a black and gray shawl with White Diamond's insignia on the front. Personality Howlite can be described a living embodiment of her Diamond's beliefs. She often nitpicks the slightest flaws in other Gems and boasts about her work on other Gems as well as her own "perfection." In fact, she is so obsessed with making both herself and others perfect that she even modified her form to prevent emotional expression and has grown to naturally dislike Gems with bright colors, since color is, to her, a sign of impurity. Howlite is notorious among the other faction leaders for her patronizing behavior. She regularly talks down to other Gems, even and especially her peers, when she feels they are going against their purpose. Howlite also implicitly or even explicitly claims that she knows what is best for everyone, and insists that true happiness can only be achieved through perfectly adhering to one's role. History Howlite claims to be a Gem older than the Diamond Authority itself. She states that, prior to White Diamond appearing before Gems, they lacked purpose (they were "servants without a master"), something that a matriarch corrected. Whether she is speaking for most/all of Gemkind, speaking from personal bias, or even speaking the truth at all, however, is entirely unknown. Regardless, Howlite's followers confirm that she was made on the original Gem Homeworld and loyally served as a member of White Diamond's court for eons, using her hypnosis to "correct" the occasional Gem questioning their orders or purpose. When the Rebellion surfaced and Gems started to defect, Howlite was sent to the nearby outpost on Mars to receive and correct potential and captured rebels. While her efforts had modest success, they were obviously not enough to stop the Rebellion, and the entire star system was suddenly abandoned. In the chaos, Howlite realized countless Gems would be left behind. She not only opted to stay, but prevented anyone in White Diamond's outpost from leaving Mars, soon forming the Gems she stranded into the cultlike faction known as the Watchers. Abilities Howlite has standard abilities typical of Era 1 Gems, such as superhuman strength, though due to her status she does not normally exhibit them. Skillsets * Wisdom: Howlite displays a sharp mind and virtually an entire library's worth of knowledge. She is so adept at drawing accurate conclusions that she can seem omniscient. However, her wisdom is often limited by her own personal bias, as she frequently ignores information that conflicts with her worldview, and tends to even dismiss her own deductions when they prove her worldview wrong, concluding she is being misled or missing some vital detail. * Manipulation: Even without her hypnotic suggestion, Howlite is adept at manipulating others with words alone. She can often determine a Gem's flaws and insecurities just by observing them briefly, and, should the need arise, she will use these faults as ammunition against them to get her way. Unique Abilities * Hypnosis: Howlite's signature ability. She can hypnotize other Gems by simply locking eyes with them. The process isn't flawless, as a Gem with a strong will can resist the hypnosis, and especially powerful Gems can even cause the hypnosis to backfire. ** Gem Enthrallment: Using her hypnosis, Howlite can put nearly any Gem in a deep, lasting trance that suppresses their personality and replaces it with a watered-down version of the personality they had when they first emerged. This new version of them, needless to say, is also blindly loyal to both Howlite and the Diamond Authority. Not unlike her Diamond's mind control, her hypnosis causes the victims' colors to become muted as long as it's affecting them. * Extrasensory Vision: Howlite is able to see without opening her physical eyes. * Telepathic Communication: Using a weak form of telepathy, Howlite can "speak" without moving her mouth--which, considering that she currently can't move her mouth, is a convenience for her. * Anatomy Manipulation: Howlite has doll-like joints; she is capable of rotating her head, neck, torso, or waist a full 360 degrees. Tools * Icepick Rejuvenator: A tool issued to Howlite by Homeworld during the Rebellion to help ease her workload. She stores it in her Gemstone when it's not in use, and uses by stabbing her target (usually in the head) to reset them completely, destabilizing their form in the process. While it can't be resisted by any Gem once it's made contact, it is easy to undo compared to her hypnosis and, to Howlite, is less effective than brainwashing them. Thus, she only uses it as a last resort, against Gems that are too stubborn to hypnotize. Relationships Aqua Aura Quartz Howlite doesn't talk about Aqua Aura Quartz, even changing the subject if she's brought up. Secretly, Howlite deeply fears her and everything she represents--not because of Hessonite's shattering, but because Aqua Aura and her faction are an active threat to her worldview and way of life. Benitoite Howlite did not trust Benitoite, knowing she was self-serving and didn't truly care about her Diamond. During the Rebellion, she pulled some strings to get Benitoite a Spinel to keep her preoccupied. However, she was still convinced the overseer would be valuable, and forced her to stay on Mars when they were ordered to evacuate. Howlite is certain that Benitoite will return to the Palace--even if not on her own volition--and intends to brainwash her as she had threatened millennia before. Blue Goldstone Howlite has openly praised Blue Goldstone for her actions during and after the Rebellion to, in her words, "preserve perfection" on the anarchic planet. She knows that her actions and mannerisms disturb the Goldstone, but typically feigns ignorance to this. Chameleon Diamond Howlite has never met Chameleon Diamond personally and has been known to state that she doesn't believe in her existence, calling the synthetic Diamond an "impossibility." However, despite these claims, she has warned the elite Watchers that there is no way to deny that Chameleon Diamond physically exists. Herkimer Diamond Howlite both respects and depends on Herkimer Diamond. She is known to boast about her "flawless" bodyguard, and, while she tries to hide it, it is apparent that Howlite would be devastated if she were to lose Herkimer. Hessonite Howlite had little respect for Hessonite due to their differing views, but especially despised her for her "licentious behavior." How she learned of the Garnet's private, intimate relationship is unknown to this day. After her death, Howlite has not changed her tone, and has even outright stated that Hessonite got exactly what she deserved. Kunzite Howlite, much like with her other hypnotized subordinates, considers her treatment of Kunzite to be a favor to her. She especially values Kunzite for her singing, and will sometimes even set time aside to listen to Kunzite's songs herself, despite knowing their hypnotic capacity. Nacre (Renegade) Through her sister, Howlite is fully aware of the renegade Nacre's existence, and, while she has no idea where she is, intends to bring the Nacre sisters together under her rule. Nacre (Watchers) Howlite treats Nacre like a Pearl, considering her a mere servant but still keeping her by her side at all times. She considers this treatment to be a favor to Nacre, believing she gave the obsolete servant a new purpose. Pink Diamond/Rose Quartz Howlite has long deduced that Pink Diamond was the true leader of the Rebellion, and even that she survived the Diamond attack. However, rather than think she was just "playing" like White Diamond did, Howlite recognizes the genuine intent behind it. She sees Pink Diamond as mentally broken and inherently defective, but believes she can be "made perfect." Howlite hopes to one day make it to Earth to find and hypnotize Pink Diamond to make her into a "perfect" Gem, despite knowing perfectly well that this would be against White Diamond's wishes. Since she is unaware of Pink Howlite's fate, she also is unaware that attempting to hypnotize Pink Diamond has failed in the past. Pink Howlite The two Howlites knew each other personally prior to the Rebellion, and would occasionally meet with other Howlites to discuss the status of their facilities. However, while Howlite knows that her fellow Gem was sent to Earth to confront Rose Quartz, she is unaware of her modifications; rather, she assumes that Pink Howlite was shattered by the rebel. Pink Zirconia Similar to Pink Diamond, Howlite sees Pink Zirconia as mentally broken, though not beyond repair. Though their distance is preventing her from doing so at the moment, she intends to eventually corner and brainwash Pink Zirconia to "scrub away" her insanity. Rutile When Rutile was brought to her, Howlite saw Rutile as just another rebel, and acted accordingly. However, she values the hypnotized entertainer for her musical prowess. She has assigned Rutile to Kunzite, to take advantage of their combined musical capabilities. While she is fully aware of the hypnotic capabilities of her music, she still sets aside time to listen to her and Kunzite's songs. Tiger's Eye Howlite shows more respect towards Tiger's Eye than she did towards Hessonite. However, this doesn't mean she is willing to listen to the fellow faction leader's perspective, or even leave her be. She has been able to blackmail Tiger's Eye with a potentially life-ruining secret. In exchange for Howlite's silence, the Progressive faction does not take action against the Watchers, while Tiger's Eye personally performs small favors for the elite from time to time. Tourmalinated Quartz Howlite and Tourmalinated Quartz seldom interact, but it is clear she sees them as little more than a worker under her command. Yellow and Blue Diamond Howlite, while recognizing them as members of the Diamond Authority, does not show the same level of respect towards Yellow or Blue Diamond that she has towards White Diamond. When discussing them, she is known to use backhanded compliments and hint that Homeworld would be better off without them. White Diamond Howlite is completely loyal to White Diamond, even in her absence. She is known to praise her matriarch, and frequently states that everything she does is for White Diamond herself. She consciously blinds herself to her Diamond's flaws, insisting that she is perfect while blaming the missteps of the Authority on other Gems, including the other Diamonds. Trivia * Howlite is intended to resemble "a creepy doll." * Howlite's tears are black. * Howlite is one of several Mars AU Gems associated with a Major Arcana tarot card; specifically, "The Hierophant." ** This is due to her obsession with preserving tradition, even at the cost of individual will. * Despite her conservative views, Howlite is not completely above fusing with other Gems. ** If she fused with Herkimer Diamond, they would form an Ulexite. ** If she fused with Herkimer Diamond and Nacre, they would form an Alabaster. ** If she somehow fused with Pink Zirconia, they would form a Star Rose Quartz. ** If she fused with an Amethyst, they would form an Iolite. * In the event she received Steven's Era 3 broadcasts, Howlite would be devastated over the loss of her purpose. She would even begin to conspire against Steven and the entire planet Earth, and convince Pink Zirconia to join her using their shared hatred for the hybrid. Gemstone Gemology Gemstone Information * Howlite is a hydrous calcium borate mineral found in evaporite deposits. It has a hardness of 3.5 on the Mohs hardness scale and often forms cauliflower-shaped nodules. * Howlite is named after the Canadian mineralogist Henry How, who formally discovered the mineral in 1868. * Howlite is naturally white with fine gray or black veining. However, it is naturally very porous and thus regularly dyed different colors. ** Dyed howlite is often falsely marketed as other gemstones, especially turquoise due to the similarities in the veining. * Howlite is not a birthstone for any month, but is a zodiacal stone for Gemini and Virgo, and is associated with the heart, solar plexus, third eye, and crown chakras. * Howlite is commonly viewed as a calming stone, believed to alleviate rage and help with sleep. * Howlite is also associated with clearer memory and higher understanding. * Unlike with some other healing crystals, dyed howlite is not associated with any additional metaphysical properties. Gallery New Howlite Face.png|Howlite's face, eyes fully opened StevenedHowlite.png|Howlite shapeshifted into Steven Universe Howlite Beta Full.png|Howlite's original concept sheet Howlite Original Full.png|Howlite's first character sheet Category:Characters Category:Loyalists Category:Howlites Category:Homeworld-Made Gems Category:Watchers Category:Era 0 Gems Category:Era 1 Gems Category:Martian Arcana Category:White Diamond Gems Category:White Colored Gems Category:Active Gems